I would like to remind everyone to vote. You can do so now at the Government Center on the second floor in the city government center side from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every weekday until Oct. 29. On Oct. 30, you can vote until 5 p.m.
On the top right hand side of your ballot there is an advisory referendum question asking if you would like to see a full-time city administrator/part-time mayor form of government.
This was a resolution I presented to the Superior City Council back on Jan. 7. The council voted 6-4 in favor of moving the resolution to the Nov. 3 ballot .
Back on Nov. 6, 2019, RW Management presented an organizational and staffing study to the council. The city agreed to pay over $40,000 for this study. Some of the recommendations were implemented and others were passed over at the time. With the referendum already on the ballot, the human resources committee and the mayor discussed the topic June 15 and voted to keep the same form of government . The item was never referred anywhere according to the minutes, but the committee made another motion to table the previous motion and topic indefinitely.
All of the dates of meetings and the minutes along with the recommendation from RW can be found on the city of Superior website www.ci.superior.wi.us .
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My point in this letter is to apologize for not being able to provide you the information from an independent consulting firm giving you pros and cons regarding the positions. Since March, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered our ability to meet in groups, and with the HR committee coming up with a vote to not discuss it, I feel that your right to be educated one way or another has been limited.
The only information I have at this time is that if the advisory referendum were to pass, it would be a recommendation that goes back to the council for final approval. For that to pass for action, the council would have to approve the recommendation by a two-thirds vote to change the city charter in order for a change in government.
In closing, I ask that you vote from the top of the ballot to the bottom and left to right. You have that right and this is all of your tax dollars. This is not about the current mayor and the job he is doing for our community. It is about where you would like to see the city of Superior going in the near to long future.
Please vote.
Dan Olson,
Superior
